A Legal Education "Learning Triangle"

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  So picture a triangle:  One way to think about learning is to contemplate the three "angles" of learning.  

At the apex of the triangle - from the viewpoint of most students - law school education is all about learning to think, act, and communicate like an attorney.  

But that begs the question. What is learning?  

Well, in my opinion there are two others corners to the triangle, and those - I believe - are the wellsprings or foundations for successful learning.  And, as many have suggested, they often go overlooked in our haste to teach students to "think like attorneys."

Let me explain what I see as the other two corners that make a "well-rounded" triangle so that our students can effectively learn to think, act, and communicate like attorneys.

One of the corners involves applying the science of learning - the lessons learned from educational psychologists as how best to learn.  And, as the scientists suggest, its often counter-intuitive to our own notions of how we best learn: To cut to the chase, less talk and more action, by having our students engage in pre-testing, practice testing, distributed practice, retrieval practice, and interleaving practice throughout the semester, is foundational to long-term meaningful learning.

The other corner, it seems to me, involves the interplay of the heart, the soul, and the mind.  It's the psychological-social dimensions of what best equips us and our students to engage in optimal learning practices.  Some emphasize academic tenacity or grit.  But, in my opinion, this corner of the triangle rises (or falls) on whether we are developing within our students a sense of place, of belonging, as valuable members of our learning communities.  You see, it's very difficult to have grit when we feel out of place, like we don't belong. But focus on equipping our students to belong...and tenacity will soon follow suit.

Lately, thanks to the work of many in the academic support field in teaching me about the interrelationships among (1) the skills of lawyering, (2) the science of learning, and (3) the psychological-social dimensions of learning, I've been regularly integrating, emphasizing, and sharing research about learning straight from the "scientists" mouths.  

Here's two of my favorite articles, filled with colorful and vibrant charts and tables, which I flash onto the classroom screens (and then have my students ponder, decipher, and explain as to how they can best learn to "think like lawyers" based on the latest research):

J. Dunlosky, Strengthening the Student Toolbox: Study Strategies to Boost Learning;

C. Dweck, et. al., Academic Tenancy: Mindsets and Skill That Promote Long-Term Learning.

And, if you want to make the most of this little blog, grab a piece of paper, close your computer, and draw a nifty picture of a triangle (with annotations as you try to recall as much as you can about what you learned).  

Happy Learning to you and your students!

(Scott Johns).